Used in the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates, particularly in the development of fluorinated drugs where the fluorine atom enhances metabolic stability and bioavailability. It serves as a building block in the preparation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for hormonal therapies and anti-inflammatory agents. Its hydroxy and carboxylic acid functional groups allow for easy modification and coupling reactions in multi-step organic syntheses. Commonly employed in the production of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and other biologically active molecules requiring precise structural features.